Bluetooth Headset

[Shotglass]

I need a good, and if possible affordable Bluetooth headset for Skype on my Mac mini. It should be fully compatible with Skype and be recognized as a cable Mic or whatever by the mini. Does anyone have experience with using these things with Skype. Can you recommend any particular Headsets?

 

[Ken Wind]

Some popular models

I believe that Apples bluetooth radios (Widcomm I think) are highly compatible with most other bluetooth devices. That being said some of the more popular bluetooth headset brands are Sony Ericsson, Motorola, Jabra, and Nextlink. There are many more reputable bluetooth headset makers out there though. To give you an idea of the recent ones on the market here is a website that lists a lot of the popular ones. You should be able to find them for cheaper other places online. If you can, go to a cellular carriers store and check some out in person. Oftentimes sales people will have their own and may be willing to let you try theirs on. Fit and comfort can vary greatly between headsets as not everybody is the same shape.

 

[Shotglass]

Thanks for the link, and I will definitely try the store thing. Maybe they'll have some with various earpieces like those in-ear headphones.

 

[bigboy99]

Thanks for the link, and I will definitely try the store thing. Maybe they'll have some with various earpieces like those in-ear headphones.

Please post the results of your search. I asked at the Apple store, and they were clueless about whether or not cell phone blue tooth headsets would work with a Powerbook G4. The packaging on the cell phone devices only list what phones the set is compatible with, no mention of computer bluetooth applications.

 

[The Senator]

bluetooth headsets work on macs. I use an old logitech bluetooth headset on my mbp for teamspeex. It works great. All bluetooth devices are compatible with any other bluetooth device, dosent matter how old or who makes it, Bluetooth is a standard.

 

[janey]

...All bluetooth devices are compatible with any other bluetooth device, dosent matter how old or who makes it, Bluetooth is a standard.

NO!!!! No, it's not that simple. Anything that supports the particular version of the headset or handsfree profile works. Bluetooth may be a standard, but the extent of the support for the profiles are up to the manufacturer. So it does matter how old and who makes it and what you're using it with.

Personally I have a jabra bt250v (black one..has vibrate alerts...lol). Works great with my phone (razr v3) and both my macs (in my sig). It's a bit weird sometimes (like when I switch between the computer and the phone), and it took some effort to get it paired and working and isn't 100% perfect (probably a Mac bluetooth thing more than the headset), but it works perfectly fine with Skype after you get it paired and you set it up as the audio input/output device in the preferences.

If you're going Jabra, I have a part of an email from their customer service people you might be interested in, when I asked about support:

Hi Jane,

All of our headsets conform to Bluetooth v1.1 & v1.2 Headset and Hands Free profiles. Either one can be usedwith computers (Mac and otherwise) as long as the Headset or Hands Free profiles are in your computer, configured correctly. Generally, we keep track compatibility of our products in use with cellular technology. We do not carry Bluetooth drivers for computer Bluetooth adapters.

// irrelevant parts removed

Kindest regards,

Mitchell
Jabra, North America.
Technical Support
8am - 8pm
800-327-2230
603.594.4704 - Fax
www.jabra.com
techsupp@jabra.com

 

[The Senator]

NO!!!! No, it's not that simple. Anything that supports the particular version of the headset or handsfree profile works. Bluetooth may be a standard, but the extent of the support for the profiles are up to the manufacturer. So it does matter how old and who makes it and what you're using it with.

they all work with eachother, sometimes you have to toy with it or change profiles but they all should work. bluetooth 1 works with 2 just fine. If the company puts a cap on a device to make it not work with some stuff, theres always a way around it.

 

[bigboy99]

After a few failed attempts I was able to get my Motorola HS850 headset to be recognized by my PBG4 Bluetooth. Once recogized and paired, the device now appears in System Prefs>Sound, and in the Skype Audio prefs.

I just returned from 14 days in Brazil where the best Cingular rate was $1.99/minute. SkypeOut was 1.2 cents/minute. I've still got over $4.50 remaining of my initial $10.00.

 

[Shotglass]

Okay, i got impatient and ordered a Jabra BT 150 from amazon.de for about 30 bucks. It should ship around tomorrow, maybe later. I will post here again once it's here.